Dances & Performances
Bon Odori
Traditional group "Bon Odori" dances around the yagura stage, together with the Lithuanian "Ratiliondo" round dance, joining two cultures.
What is Bon Odori?
Bon Odori (盆踊り) is a traditional Japanese summer dance, danced during the Obon festival, a time for honouring the memory of one's ancestors. This tradition has existed in Japan for more than 500 years, and in 2022 it was added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Bon Odori is not a stage performance – it's a community dance that anyone can join, regardless of age or dance experience. It's usually danced in a circle around a central platform (yagura), on which musicians play or music is played. Everyone performs the same simple movements, which repeat continuously, so they're easy to pick up just by watching the other dancers. The dance's movements often tell a story – they might depict fishing, planting rice, the sweep of a fan, or other everyday actions.
Every region of Japan has its own Bon Odori dance and music, so there's no single universal choreography.
Most importantly, you don't need to know how to dance to join Bon Odori. The essence of this dance isn't performing the movements perfectly, but dancing together and enjoying the sense of community. Many people join for the first time simply by watching others, and within a few minutes they're dancing along too.
A few words from Ayano Honda, keeper of the Bon Odori tradition in Lithuania
"When I first experienced Vėlinės (All Souls' Day) in Lithuania, it reminded me of the Obon festival in Japan – a time set aside to honour one's ancestors. It's also the time of Bon Odori, when people all across Japan gather to dance. Although Bon Odori is full of joy, it also carries a deep meaning. Dancing together creates a quiet sense of togetherness. It doesn't matter where you're from or who you are – when we move together, we become part of one circle.
To me, Bon Odori shows that a tradition can be deeply rooted and still be open to everyone. Through shared movement we can find a mutual understanding that words sometimes don't allow.
I hope Bon Odori has already found its home in Lithuania, and that one day people will simply say: "Let's go to Bon Odori!"
On September 5–6 we invite you to become part of this tradition too. Join the shared Bon Odori dance, feel the spirit of Japanese culture, and together with hundreds of others, let's create an unforgettable moment of togetherness.